Butler

Role Overview

Butler at Raffles The Palm, operated by Accor. The role is based at Raffles The Palm Dubai on Palm Jumeirah. The Butler reports to the Butler Supervisor / Assistant Head Butler.

Company Overview

Raffles Hotels & Resorts is a legendary brand established in 1887, steeped in history and known for intuitive, gracious service. Raffles The Palm opened in 2021 on the western crescent of Palm Jumeirah, the world's largest man-made island and archipelago. The palatial beach resort features 340 spacious rooms, suites and villas, inspired by the elegance of European palaces and embellished with handcrafted Italian furniture. Guests enjoy panoramic views, a private beach, state-of-the-art entertainment and recreational facilities, specialist boutiques, a VIP movie theatre, and signature and private restaurants with exquisite banqueting and conference spaces.

Role Purpose

The Raffles Butler is defined not by tasks but by what they make possible for every guest they serve. The Butler is the architect of the individual guest journey: the single point of continuity from the moment a reservation is made to the moment a guest steps into the world again, and the reason they return. The Butler operates across two service models—Butler in Residence as a dedicated presence for every suite and VIP guest, and Butler on Call as a presence felt rather than seen, available and responsive whenever a guest needs them.

Key Responsibilities

Knowledge

• Hold thorough, practiced knowledge of all Butler Service SOPs as a foundation from which to deliver with confidence and consistency.
• Remain fully current on Raffles Brand Standards, LQA criteria, Forbes Travel Guide standards, and the expectations that define five-star butler service globally.
• Maintain working proficiency across all platforms used to capture, action, and track the guest journey.
• Demonstrate accurate knowledge of all room categories, suite configurations, F&B offerings, in-house experiences, and property-wide facilities.
• Stay continuously informed on arriving guests: their profiles, histories, preferences, special occasions, and any intelligence gathered across all touchpoints.
• Remain current on local culture, seasonal events, and the area's social landscape to serve as a credible and genuine resource for guests.

The 360° Guest Journey

• Internalize and embody the Raffles brand personality in every interaction: Charming, Graceful, Thoughtful, and Welcoming.
• Consistently execute the Top 5 Service Excellence pillars in every guest encounter: Look, Smile, Talk, Listen, and Thank.
• Operate as the orchestrator of the guest journey; the conductor who ensures every department plays its part at precisely the right moment.
• Own the guest relationship from pre-arrival to post-departure as a single, unbroken arc of care.
• Initiate meaningful pre-arrival contact: review profiles with intent, anticipate what has not yet been asked for, and personalize every element of the arrival before the guest lands.
• Conduct in-room check-ins and room orientations with warmth and genuine curiosity; reading each guest to determine the level of engagement they seek.
• Correspond with guests via appropriate channels – written, digital, verbal – always in the Raffles tone: considered, elegant, and never transactional.
• Anticipate needs before they are expressed; a pattern observed becomes a gesture before departure.
• Be proactively present: visible, attuned, and ready throughout the entire stay.
• Manage all guest requests with full personal accountability; coordinating across departments, tracking to completion, and following up without being asked.
• Handle complaints and service failures with ownership and composure: acknowledge, recover, and follow through until the guest's trust is fully restored.
• Inspect arrival and occupied rooms through a butler's perspective.
• Execute Raffles Rituals and special occasion set-ups with precision, creativity, and genuine care for the detail.
• Offer packing and unpacking service with the discretion and attentiveness that transforms a practical task into a considered experience.
• Monitor Do Not Disturb and Out of Order rooms with diligence, acting on welfare concerns immediately and in full accordance with SOP.
• Maintain impeccable butler notes: recording preferences, observations, and interactions in a way that serves the next encounter as richly as the current one.
• Practice genuine, knowledgeable upselling; recommending experiences, dining, and services because they are right for this guest, not to meet a metric.
• Collaborate daily with Housekeeping, Private Dining, Front Office, Engineering, Concierge, and all relevant departments; communicating with clarity, respect, and shared ownership of the guest outcome.
• Embody the 'We Are All Butlers' philosophy: treat every colleague as a contributor to the guest journey, and every interaction – internal or external – as a reflection of the Raffles standard.
• Attend shift briefings, department meetings, and training sessions with active engagement.
• Contribute to the team's culture through reliability, discretion, and a consistent willingness to support colleagues.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 2 years of experience in a guest-facing role in a luxury or ultra-luxury hotel environment.
• University degree, preferably in Hospitality Management, Tourism, or a related field.
• Familiarity with Forbes or LQA standards preferred.
• Knowledge of Opera PMS.
• Butler certification or equivalent professional training.
• Housekeeping, Food and Beverage, or Guest Relations knowledge.

Skills & Competencies

• Proficiency in English is essential; knowledge of other languages is a plus.
• Guest Journey Ownership, Empathy and Anticipation, Emotional Intelligence, Personalization, Cultural Sensitivity, Service Recovery, Attention to Detail, Multitasking, Strong Interpersonal Skills.
• Commercial awareness and multi-cultural fluency across international guest profiles.
• Neat, polished appearance; articulate; good posture; a presence that is both warm and composed.

Additional Information

• Flexible availability including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Embrace the Raffles brand promise and luxury in your role and in all your interactions.
• Foster an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and respected.
• Employee benefits include complimentary upgrades, extended stays, discounted stays across Fairmont & Raffles properties, special dining and wellness discounts, and added luxuries to enhance your experience.
• Raffles is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diverse talent thrives and welcomes candidates from all backgrounds.
• Shortly after applying, you will receive an email from AssessFirst prompting you to create a profile and complete a questionnaire; this is a mandatory step for your candidacy to be considered as it enables exploration of your compatibility with this role and the culture of luxury excellence.